Arctic cruise
tips & insights

Top Arctic cruise appeals

Here are popular dos-and-sees:

Wildlife

Polar bears  Whales  Caribous or reindeers  Walruses  Arctic birds

Landscapes

Icebergs  Glaciers  Waterfalls  Volcanoes  Geothermal springs

Activities

Sightseeing  Photographing  Hiking  Kayaking

And ...

Midnight sun  Natives & cultures

Arctic cruise length

Single-nation cruises usually last about week. Those encompassing multiple countries typically range 12 to 24 days.

Ship size

Small and medium are the best for Arctic cruising. However, if a ship is too small, it won't handle rough open-sea weather well. Neither will converted research and icebreaker ships because of their shallow, rounded hulls.

Guides

Your cruise will be only as good as the quality of the expedition leader & staff, onboard lecturers, and shore excursion guides.

Definition of "Arctic"

There are two widely accepted definitions:

All the sea and land north of the Arctic Circle. (See red circle on first-page map.)

Everything north of the tree line.

The first definition is precise (a perfect circle). The second isn't. The distance of the tree line to the North Pole varies from place to place due to climactic conditions,

Iceland qualifies for the second definition, but just misses the first. That's why I prefer the second. It's truer to the traveler's experience.

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